It’s not often that SA receives new versions of the chips-in-a-tube Pringles (unless you try to count the countless knockoffs). This time, it’s not a new flavour (sort of), but rather a new type of chip. Is this new tortilla chip tubular, or just something corny?

To anyone getting excited over the prospect of corn chips, it must be stated that this offering is not gluten-free. The product uses wheat starch as part of the ingredients.

The Pringles Tortilla chips are slightly smaller than the standard version and appear to be brittle (a large portion of mine were broken in the tube).

They’re a pleasure to chomp and — unlike their wheat-based brethren — I didn’t find them getting stuck in my teeth. It must be said that either the product was bashed around during transport, or there’s something strange going on as I found them to be harder when chewing. They should be able to support a good glob of guacamole and salsa if you’re keen on using them in your next batch of nachos.

This is where the positives end, really. The chips opt for the standard Pringles Original flavour, which is incredibly salty. For the first few mouth-fulls, they’re an enjoyable treat, but you’ll quickly tired of them. You may start searching for a glass of water to make sure the mass of corn and salt actually passes down your throat.

It’s a pity the company didn’t go with a better (maybe spicier?) flavour of chip as there’s nothing here besides a texture change compared to the originals. It’s a missed opportunity to really extend the Pringles product line.

Final thoughts:

The Pringles Tortilla chips are an intresting experiment, but one that severely lacks any sort of pull factor. Unless you’re a die-hard Pringles fan, look elsewhere for your corn chip fix.

Review score:

Om nom nmmm (2.5 out of 5.0)

Disclaimer: the review item was purchased from Clicks in Cavendish, Cape Town, and paid for by Next Window Plz.

Update: there are other flavours available, though the review score still stands.